


Looking Through A Window

by refinedbuffoonery



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, THERE WAS ONLY ONE BED, Undercover as Married, and even a lil angst, but I promise there's a solid plot, gotta keep y'all on your toes, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 11:39:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30021204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/refinedbuffoonery/pseuds/refinedbuffoonery
Summary: Angus MacGyver has feelings for a certain curly-haired coworker, and has been hiding it for nearly a year. Better to have never explored that what-if than lose Riley entirely, he rationalizes. Until one day Matty sends them deep undercover to infiltrate and dismantle an up and coming domestic terrorist organization—just the two of them. Well, three actually, including a FBI dog named Harley who recently lost her owner. Now Mac has a choice: bury his feelings for good or risk their new fake life—the kind of life he's always wanted—bringing those feelings to the surface and potentially ruining everything.
Relationships: Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 69





	Looking Through A Window

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise. I’ve been thinking about writing one of these for months now, but you should know that the only reason this exists is because a week ago I thought about the fact that MacGyver is a show full of dog people who are tragically unable to have a dog because they’re too busy saving the world, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how to give our favorite heroes a dog. And then this happened. 
> 
> FYI, this diverges from canon a bit, mostly so I don’t have to address the love triangle. In this fic:  
> \- Mac and Desi did not get back together after their offscreen relationship.  
> \- Riley caught feelings in Germany and kept them to herself so she wouldn’t risk ruining their friendship (same reasoning as canon but minus the MacDesi part).  
> \- The pandemic happened. All of the plot things happened roughly the same way as canon (again, minus MacDesi...use your imagination).  
> \- Also Jack is dead. (Sorry.) 
> 
> This fic absolutely will not be updated regularly, but, as always, the more people leave excited and detailed comments, the more I am motivated to keep writing. You feed me, and I’ll feed you. :)

After all these years in the spy business, not much phases Mac anymore, but walking into the war room to find an absolutely massive German Shepherd obediently sitting beside Matty warrants a double-take. The dog wears a navy blue harness with bright yellow lettering marking it as belonging to the FBI, but Matty absentmindedly strokes its head as if it’s a small, fluffy lapdog. 

So this is what Matty meant when she said they’d be working with a new agent. 

Matty turns and smiles when she sees Mac. “Oh good. You’re here.” The dog turns with her, its calm gaze tracking Mac as he grabs a paperclip and slumps into the nearest chair. 

“What’s up with the dog?” he asks. The ends of the paperclip dig into his fingers as he unfurls it. 

“I’ll explain when Riley gets here.” 

Mac’s stomach flips. “Just Riley?” 

Matty gives him a knowing smile. “Yes, Mac.  _ Just Riley _ .” 

The paperclip snaps in half. 

Lately, Mac has been avoiding alone time with Riley as much as possible. He’s fine when they’re with the group, but alone…certain things become much harder to avoid. Things that could change everything if brought out into the open. 

Things that could mean losing yet another important person in his life if Mac isn’t careful. 

And with the way Matty is smirking at him, it’s painfully obvious that she knows. That she orchestrated whatever this is precisely because of that not-so-little detail. No doubt to force Mac to confront it. 

Because Angus MacGyver has feelings for a certain curly-haired coworker, and has been hiding it for nearly a year. 

_ There _ , he wants to snarl.  _ I admitted it to myself. Happy?  _ Mac snatches a new paperclip from the bowl. 

Matty’s eyes twinkle, almost as if she’s saying,  _ Yes. Very _ . 

Just his luck, that’s the exact moment Riley chooses to waltz into the war room, blissfully unaware of the silent conversation still hanging in the air. She smiles, first at Matty, then Mac, before perching on the arm of the chair closest to the dog. Riley jerks her chin in its direction. “What’s up with the dog?” 

Mac snorts, earning a raised eyebrow. “I asked the same thing,” he explains. “But Matty wouldn’t tell me until you got here.” 

Riley smirks at that. “Ah.” 

“Now that you are here,” Matty starts. “I have a special assignment for the two of you.” Glancing at the dog beside her, she amends, “ _ Three _ of you.” 

“This’ll be good,” Riley mutters. 

“Our analysts have been collecting intel on an up-and-coming domestic terrorist organization based in Houston. Normally this would be FBI jurisdiction, but for some reason the agency refuses to touch this one. And before you ask, I don’t know why. They refused to explain.” 

“So that’s where we come in,” Riley finishes. “To do the FBI’s dirty work.” Mac can’t help but notice the hint of disdain in her tone. He doesn’t blame her; ops where they play cleanup for other agencies tend to spectacularly blow up in their faces—more so than any other type of job. 

Matty sighs, a sign that she’s not a fan of what she’s about to say. “Russ and I decided that the best course of action is to dismantle this organization from the inside, which means sending agents undercover.” 

Mac stills, ignoring the way the paperclip bites into his calloused fingers. “Why us?” 

Regret clouding Matty’s face, she explains, “You two are the most capable of getting a job like this done and still coming home in one piece.” A pause, letting the words sink in. “Believe me, if I could send other agents, I would.” 

“Okay,” Mac says. Riley nods in agreement. “So what’s the plan then?” 

Matty faces the screen, bringing up a pair of dossiers. “You two will be posing as Genevieve and James Turner, arms dealers looking to expand their business. The Turners are only interested in the number of zeros in their offshore bank accounts and could care less about the causes they support, which makes this new terrorist organization the perfect business partner.” 

“And the dog?” Riley prompts. 

“Harley here is trained in weapons detection. According to her cover, she’s a K-9 school dropout that you two trained yourselves, but she’s actually the real deal. I have her on loan from the FBI’s LA field office.” Matty scratches Harley’s head before softening her tone. “The agent she was supposed to be paired with was killed last week, so I made a deal with the field office director to foster Harley in exchange for getting to use her on this op.” 

Shirking her backpack, Riley quietly asks, “Can I pet her?” Matty nods, and Riley kneels, scratching the dog below her ears. “We’ll take good care of you. I promise.” 

The sight makes Mac’s heart ache. 

“Bozer is already waiting in the lab with the full files on your covers. You’ll need to do a new set of pictures as well, since it’s been a few years since I’ve formally sent you undercover. Any questions?” Mac and Riley shake their heads. “Then go home. Pay your rent and utilities for the next month. You’re wheels up first thing tomorrow morning.” 

Mac looks down at his creation. He hadn’t realized what he was making until he’d nearly finished it. Plastering a shit-eating grin on his face to hide his rising anxiety, Mac meets Riley’s gaze and holds out the paperclip ring. “Well, Genevieve, will you marry me?” 

*****

“So,” Bozer drawls, entirely too amused with the situation. “Just you two.” 

Mac glares at his best friend. “Yeah,  _ just us _ .” Out of the corner of his eye, Mac swears Riley does the same. “No annoying best friends.” 

Feigning outrage, Bozer whirls to face Riley, pointing. “Did you hear that? He called you  _ annoying _ .” 

“Shut up.” Mac whacks his best friend on the shoulder. 

But Bozer still looks all too pleased with himself, like he is the one who masterminded this situation, and in that moment, Mac regrets ever confiding in him about his feelings for Riley. 

Mercifully, Bozer quickly gets back to business. “Okay, I have a binder for each of you with all the information on your covers, as well as a flash drive containing a how-to video so you can learn the dog’s commands.” Mac grabs the binder labeled “James Turner,” his throat bobbing as his father’s name stares up at him. As if sensing where his mind went, Bozer gently takes back the binder and says, “But first, Mac’s favorite part:  _ pictures _ .” 

Mac hates pictures. Hates all the standing around and changing clothes and then standing around some more. Hates the way his cheeks hurt after an hour of forced grinning. 

He especially hates the way Bozer is clearly going to drag this out and make it as uncomfortable for Mac as he possibly can. 

Mac wants to murder his best friend when he gleefully announces they’re starting with vacation photos. In swimsuits. Because the Turners apparently exclusively vacation in Cabo. Mac changes into plain, black swim trunks, feeling entirely too exposed in the chilly lab. 

It takes every ounce of willpower Mac possesses to keep his jaw from falling open when Riley emerges wearing a black bikini and a sheer, lacy white cover-up that quite obviously does not actually cover anything. Only a lifetime of beach trips and seeing attractive women in barely-there bikinis keeps Mac’s cheeks from heating.  _ Nothing you haven’t seen before _ , he reminds himself. Firmly. Repeatedly. 

He is in such deep shit. 

Riley joins him in front of the green screen. At least she looks just as unhappy about this as Mac feels. Careful not to touch her bare skin, he puts an arm around Riley’s shoulders, but Mac quickly realizes it didn’t make a damn difference when her arm wraps around his naked torso. His skin feels like it’s on fire every place he and Riley are connected. 

_ Click _ . 

“C’mon. You can do better than that!” Bozer frowns at the picture he just took. “Look like you’re in love.” Mac ignores the way Bozer draws out the word  _ love _ . “Riley, you stand in front of Mac, and Mac, you hug her from behind.” They do as they’re told, ending up with Mac’s arms wrapped around Riley’s shoulders and his cheek pressed against her temple. Riley’s hands find purchase on his forearms, and for an instant Mac swears she leans into him before stopping herself. 

_ Click _ . 

He files it away in his brain with all the other moments that shouldn’t give him hope but do anyway. 

They make it through the vacation photos without incident. Then wedding photos. Individual photos. Fake candids. 

_ Click. _

_ Click. _

_ Click. _

At least Mac doesn’t have to kiss her. Bozer won’t take that first away from him. He knows how badly Mac wants that first one to be real. 

Still, Mac and Riley bitch their way through the entire shoot. Bozer is clearly having none of it, because he threatens, “If you two don’t stop complaining, the next set of pictures will be you two grinding in a club.” 

“ _ NO _ !” Mac and Riley both shriek. 

Bozer just laughs his ass off and keeps taking photos. 

Lowering his voice so only Riley can hear, Mac says, “You know that saying ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely’?” He gestures toward Bozer. “Exhibit A.” Riley chuckles. 

“Agreed.” 

“Okay,” Bozer announces, ignorant of their conversation. “Let’s get some with the dog, and then we’ll be done.” 

_ Finally _ . 

After the swimsuit photos and the wedding photos, Mac figures this last set will be a piece of cake. The dog will be the perfect buffer, blocking the awkward tension between them. 

He’s wrong. Monumentally wrong. 

This last set feels different. The others came with the weird, charged intimacy inherent in being almost naked or pretending it’s your wedding day. A breeding ground for sexual tension. But these last photos…these feel like looking through a window into the rest of his life. 

Riley kneels beside Harley, whose FBI harness has been replaced with a glittery, black collar that Riley picked out. Mac crouches on the other side of the dog, absentmindedly scratching her back. This feels effortless, just him, Riley, and their dog. 

_ Click _ .

Bozer frowns for about the millionth time. “What is this? Sixth grade? Mac for the love of god  _ put your hands on your wife _ .” 

Scooting closer, Mac rests a hand in the middle of Riley’s back. Even after an hour of this, that single point of contact has his heart hammering in his chest. 

“Congratulations. You made it to seventh grade,” Bozer scoffs. “Try again.” Riley presses her side into Mac’s leg, but the look on Bozer’s face tells him it’s still not enough, and his earlier glee at torturing Mac visibly shifts into annoyance. “Mac, we all know where your hands would be if you were  _ actually  _ married to her.  _ Put _ .  _ Them _ .  _ There _ .” 

Mac gulps. His pulse rushes in his ears, and every nerve in his body screams in delicious agony as he lightly trails his hand down Riley’s back to her hip. Mac doesn’t miss her sharp intake of breath as his fingers splay across her ass. He smiles widely enough that he probably looks insane. 

_ Click _ . 

Leaning in, Mac growls, “How do you feel about bobbytrapping Bozer’s apartment with glitter bombs before we leave? As payback.” Riley howls with laughter, tipping her head back and baring her throat just inches from Mac’s lips. 

_ Click _ . 

The sound does Mac in. The way her shriek melts into uncontrollable giggles makes his insides tickle, and within seconds he’s laughing too. Mac falls on his ass, accidentally pulling Riley down with him, and then Harley’s loud bark echoes throughout the lab, like she’s chastising them for being unprofessional. 

The wicked gleam in Riley’s eyes tells him she’s all in on his plan, and in that moment Mac can’t believe he ever had feelings for anyone else. 

_ Click _ . 

*****

Bozer is definitely going to change his locks while they’re undercover, Mac thinks. He and Riley execute their plan a little too well. There’s at least one glitter bomb in every room of the apartment, and the entire thing is rigged to blow the second Bozer opens his door. 

So yes, Bozer will definitely change his locks. And when Mac and Riley come home, Bozer is going to kill them. 

It’s worth it after the bullshit Bozer pulled during the photoshoot. 

It’s been hours, but Mac still feels the heat of Riley’s body under his palm. He still smells her warm, flowery perfume, still hears the way her breath caught when he touched her. 

God he’s a mess. 

At least he has Harley to distract him. Riley wanted to take the dog, but her landlord has a strict no pets policy, so that meant Harley had to go home with Mac. He offered to let Riley spend the night at his house, but she declined, wanting to see her mom and then have one last night of privacy since she’d be stuck with him for the foreseeable future. 

_ Stuck with him _ . Mac knows she meant it as a joke, but part of him can’t help but wonder if that’s how she really feels. It’s stupid, really, to doubt she likes spending time with him after being friends for so many years. Irrational, even. But apparently overanalyzing every single world that comes out of Riley’s mouth is a side-effect of having unreciprocated feelings for her. 

Sometimes Mac thinks those feelings might be reciprocated. And then he remembers how hard Riley friendzoned Bozer when they first met and can only assume she long-ago put Mac in the same box. They’re coworkers. They’re friends. Nothing else. 

To survive this op, he has to figure out how to put his feelings in a box of his own. Lock the box, and leave the key behind. It’s bad enough that they’re going alone, but being married and playing house is so much worse. 

Harley barks, yanking Mac from his spiraling thoughts. He opens the back door for her and follows her out onto the deck. The moon is full, but it won’t be long before it sinks into the marine layer looming on the western horizon. Harley systematically explores the backyard, sniffing every object in one area before moving on to the next. 

Mac wishes he could have a dog. Maybe then this big house wouldn’t feel so lonely. He misses having Bozer or Riley living with him, filling the walls with their laughter and light. And their stuff. Bozer and Riley each have so much stuff. But after the pandemic, they both moved out and he’s been alone for nearly a year since. 

A house like his isn’t built to be lived in alone. Neither is its resident. 

Mac is fine on his own, really. He doesn’t like it, but he’s fine. The corner of his heart that craves deep love and companionship just feels unbearably empty sometimes. 

It’s been years since his heart truly felt full. It certainly didn’t during his whirlwind fling with Desi while the Phoenix was shut down, and if Mac is being honest with himself, he hasn’t felt like he’s been with  _ his person _ since Nikki. And that was more than six years ago. 

But there is something different about Riley, something that gives Mac hope her soul is the right shape to fill that empty corner of his heart. Part of him thinks he’s always known, subconsciously, but Mac really first realized it during quarantine. Stuck in the house all day every day, there was an endless amount of time to talk. And they did. About anything and everything. (Well, not everything. Not that one thing, once he’d figured it out.) They talked about cool science stuff and the news and gossiped about the neighbors and the ongoing war between the neighborhood cats and the raccoons and planned pranks on Bozer and got drunk enough to share embarrassing, deep dark secrets. It was effortless. It was good. And somewhere along the way, Mac realized he didn’t just love her as a friend. 

Harley finally picks a spot in the bushes to do her business, and, sparing one last glance at the moon, Mac picks up the poo before locking up for the night. 

By this time tomorrow, he’ll be married to Riley. 

**Author's Note:**

> Like what you read? Leave a comment below, hit the subscribe button above, and come find me on tumblr (@refinedbuffoonery)! :)


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